It’s Not Christmas Till We Visit The Mouse! Dec. 2006

[PrincessV]

V, you are speedy! I've been back 3 weeks and have barely left the driveway in my TR and you are on to your next trip. I am in awe.

Well, it's probably best that I admit to being a writer. Like in real life. (NOT that the DIS isn't real life, of course!) Lately, I haven't had a lot of writing to do at work, and the two courses I'm taking this semster require virtually no writing at all. All of which means that I need an alternate writing outlet, and TR's are taking the hit!

And I'd take bubbles in MGM over real snow ANY DAY!

Have I mentioned I'm from Buffalo?? Have you all SEEN what's happening there right now? Soap bubbles are just fine with me!

 

[PrincessV]

Yippeeee!! I'm first, I'm first!!

Doh!!!! I'm NOT first!!

But you were very, very close!

All I have to say is "MMmmmmmm!! Christmas Lasagna...can I come over?

You bet! See, another reason to schedule a December WDW trip - PrincessV's lasagna.

Wait a second, you mean the bubbles at MGM aren't the real deal?

Real as can be... for us FL and S. Cali folks, anyway

 

[PrincessV]

Hey Princess V I was looking for someone elses pretrip and found yours. I didn't know you had started one over here. I can't wait to see what happens on this trip!

Yay! Thanks for coming over ET

I do have a question for some of those going in December. Is something special going on the first week of December? I noticed a lot of people going at that time....

The only things I can think of: hotel discounts, MVMCP, low crowds. I may eat my words, but I don't think there are any more people going that week then the next, but there's been a lot of angst over the lack of on-site rooms that week. Here's my theory: the taping of MVMCP occurs sometime that week, so the big-wigs have booked a good chunk of MK hotel rooms. Also, on-site rooms book quickly this time of year, thanks to FL resident discounts. But those hotels only account for a small percentage of park attendance. The surrounding hotels, I'm willing to bet, aren't even close to full. At least, I hope this all comes to fruition!

 

[PrincessV]

Pause
I feel compelled to interrupt the introductions in order to shed a bit more light on my role in the story, which is necessary before moving on to the next character. Since I am, in fact, a DISer, you must already have deduced that I am a planner when it comes to vacations. Very true, though this was not always the case. Was a time when I flew by the seat of my pants and performed such decidedly spontaneous activities as: deciding on Fri. afternoon to drive to Vermont for the weekend (no!); hitting the road to the East coast of FL in my mother’s ancient MG, which had no shocks at the time (gasp!); and, the big one, abandoning my apartment to live out of my car while following the Grateful Dead on their summer 91’ tour (HORROR!) Those days, good reader, are loooooong gone. I blame Walt Disney World. Once I discovered how much more could be done on a well-thought-out vacation, there was no turning back. Since the first time I used an Unofficial Guide touring plan, I have made itineraries for each and every vacation, including a week in Paris and several weeks in the NC mountains. Every day gets a nice little column on my spread sheet, with a time table on the left side outlining each hour and half-hour of the day. Activities, and sometimes alternate activities, are listed in the nice little slots, thereby avoiding the stress of “What should we do today?” At least, that’s how it works for me. Less stress. Got that? LESS STRESS. Kindly remember this as we move on….

Introductions, Part 3 for real now
DM – My mother, turning 60 next year. I’ve thought quite a bit on this one, but just cannot come up with an appropriate alias for her. So she shall be DM until otherwise named. At which time, you shall be informed. Or not. Bygones.

DM views the holiday season as an evil labyrinth one is forced to navigate each year. At the dead ends of said labyrinth, one might find such demons as Holiday Parties. Decorating of Trees. Preparation of Festive Meals. Visits With Relatives. And the horror of all horrors, Sending of Holiday Cards. Strangely enough, DM really enjoys the gift-giving process, however. Go figure. Oh, and DM is currently living in my home. Remember me, Suzyholidaylovingcan’tgetenoughholidayspirituntilDec25shoes? Good times, folks, good times. Can you think of anything that might be worse for DM than being stuck in Suzyholidaylovingcan’tgetenoughholidayspirituntilDec25shoes’s house from 11/25-12/25? How about Walt Disney World! Yes, DM has been joining our little holiday trip for the past few years. In addition to not being the most “holiday friendly” peson, DM is NOT a planner. Let me repeat that:
NOT.
A.
PLANNER.
She detests having every second of a trip planned out ahead of time. She likes surprises and last-minute changes of plans. *shudder* And she’s not a morning person. And hates crowds. Our trips together to The Mouse have been interesting, to say the least. I think I can sum them up in this story from the Holiday Trip of 2004…

After an early morning and long day of touring, we found ourselves in the Boardwalk all-purpose shop in search of adult beverages. Noticing that beer, wine, and liquor were all located in different areas of the store, I innocently inquired “What do you want, Mom?” To which she snapped “You know what I want.” “Well, not really, no, I don’t. Can you maybe tell me?” DM, nearly shouted across the room, “ALCOHOL!!!,” and stormed out of the store, pushing Leo in the stroller. (For the record, DM rarely imbibes, as most adult beverages give her crushing headaches, so this really threw me.) The entire store went silent for a few seconds, while I collected a few bottles of whatever was close by and made a hasty exit. We didn’t speak at all until we got to the car, at which point, we both burst out laughing and have been laughing about the “Alcohol Incident” ever since.

Fast forward to 2006 and I offered DM an out – she really mustn’t feel obligated to join us if she doesn’t want to go. But she does want to go and, this year, she seems genuinely interested in my rambling, one-sided conversations about ADR’s and resort amenities and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Parade. She even smiled when I explained the concept of pin trading and my idea to introduce Leo to this fun activity! So maybe there’s hope. Maybe. If not, it will certainly provide for some entertaining reading.

 

[lexmelinda]

PauseEvery day gets a nice little column on my spread sheet, with a time table on the left side outlining each hour and half-hour of the day.

Wow, now I don't feel so bad about "the booklet"

NOT.
A.
PLANNER.
She detests having every second of a trip planned out ahead of time. She likes surprises and last-minute changes of plans. *shudder* And she’s not a morning person. And hates crowds.

V......Do you think there's any possibility your mother and my husband could be related? Did she give a child up for adoption around 1962? Suggestion: When at Disney World, I do what any all-about-the-planning-DISer wife would do with a not-a-planner-husband...I download the plan to my brain and lead him around the parks without his knowledge. I think it could work with your mom, too! Loving the report......keep on a-writing.

 

[PrincessV]

Wow, now I don't feel so bad about "the booklet"

V......Do you think there's any possibility your mother and my husband could be related? Did she give a child up for adoption around 1962? Suggestion: When at Disney World, I do what any all-about-the-planning-DISer wife would do with a not-a-planner-husband...I download the plan to my brain and lead him around the parks without his knowledge. I think it could work with your mom, too! Loving the report......keep on a-writing.

LOL, thanks Melinda! No, I'm ALL over the booklet idea for this trip! Yeah, I think you're right - I need to find a method of making DM think we're being spontaneous, while we secretly follow my itinerary....

 

[royb625]

Hello,
iam taking a trip to disney on dec 29 thru jan 4th and have never been there during these months was wondering about the weather? is it warm!!! i hope iam from michigan and i want warm weather to swim and wear shorts i would hate to think i will have to wear warm clothes on my vacation. :

 

[Eeyore's Tiara]

Can't wait to hear the about the trip with such an interesting start...

 

[PrincessV]

Hello,
iam taking a trip to disney on dec 29 thru jan 4th and have never been there during these months was wondering about the weather? is it warm!!! i hope iam from michigan and i want warm weather to swim and wear shorts i would hate to think i will have to wear warm clothes on my vacation. :

Honestly, the weather can be all over the place at that time of year. I remember the occasional 85 degree day, and I remember days when it struggled to get above 50. My advice is to keep checking the forecast for Kissimmee on weather.com right up until you leave and pack plenty of options. The one thing I guuarantee is it WILL be warmer than Michigan!

 

[Lauralee131]

Hmmm...sounds as if DM may be coming over to the dark side!! Before you know it, she'll be doing her own TR's like Glenda's mom! Has she bought a Passporter yet??


Come on, girl...get writing!! I'm poised and ready...

 

[Disneyland_Mama]

So, what's new???

I'm trying to wait patiently...... the popcorn bloat is setting in.

Ok, has "real" life interupted DIS time? C'mon on, V, can't ya come out and play???

I love moped guy!

 

[Lauralee131]

Yep...still waiting ....Yooo...Hooooo...over here....


And like Disneyland Mama, I too have popcorn bloat... not a pretty sight...I don't want to point the finger at anybody, but....

Even my little smiley face guys got up and left and aren't working for me this morning. Ah well...if you're just going to stay silent - I guess I'll go to work....

 

[PrincessV]

Thanks for being such an appreciative audience - you guys rock!

Yes, "real" life has definitely been interfering with my DISing. I've had a LOT of writing to do at work this week and, since I get paid for that writing, all my creative energy's been going into it. Which leaves not muchly for my TR.

Adding to this, I seem to have gotten sucked into several more TR's from the DIS-writers-of-all-DIS-writers. Rather than providing inspiration, they've left me feeling rather unworthy and have induced some writer's block! So no more reading until I get another installment of my own done, I promise. (How come there's not a smilie doing the "Scout's Honor" salutey-thing? That would be perfect here!)

Thanks for hanging in there - hope I don't lose anyone!

 

[Lauralee131]

Thanks for being such an appreciative audience - you guys rock!

Yes, "real" life has definitely been interfering with my DISing. I've had a LOT of writing to do at work this week and, since I get paid for that writing, all my creative energy's been going into it. Which leaves not muchly for my TR.

Adding to this, I seem to have gotten sucked into several more TR's from the DIS-writers-of-all-DIS-writers. Rather than providing inspiration, they've left me feeling rather unworthy and have induced some writer's block! So no more reading until I get another installment of my own done, I promise. (How come there's not a smilie doing the "Scout's Honor" salutey-thing? That would be perfect here!)

Thanks for hanging in there - hope I don't lose anyone!

OOOOH - am I the first?!?!? I hear you on getting sucked into others...I'm still working on my TR myself!!! I'm hanging!! My arms are tired, but I'm hanging!!

 

[mlill]

Adding to this, I seem to have gotten sucked into several more TR's from the DIS-writers-of-all-DIS-writers. Rather than providing inspiration, they've left me feeling rather unworthy and have induced some writer's block!

Hi! I just found your pre-trip report and am looking forward to reading more! I can totally relate to 'feeling unworthy' about writing a trip report - I'm going to try and write one for our Halloween trip and one for our Christmas trip. I don't think I'll be as witty as the infamous DIS TR writers, but I'm still going to do it! I don't think you'll have any problem, your other TR is great!

-Michelle

 

[PrincessV]

From the South Pacific to the Jersey Shore… by way of the Bayou??

Now that the background’s been set and the characters introduced, it’s time to get down to business. It is time to make a PLAN.

Remember? Planning ahead = Less Stress. Let’s say it together one more time:
Less.
Stress.

I like to begin with the selection of a hotel. If you think about it, everything else rides on one’s choice of hotel: restaurant choices, transportation issues, even which side of Epcot you’ll enter are affected by your pick for short-term-Disney-residency. In case that’s not enough, if we’re talking about on-site properties, one’s hotel selection also sets the mood, the vibe, the tone of the trip. Do we want fun and flighty? Comfortable and lived-in? Upscale and haughty? Obviously, the hotel selection is a big deal for me and deserves careful consideration and research.

The search begins with a thought-provoking question:











Which one haven’t I stayed at yet?

Yep, very scientific, that. There are still many WDW properties in which I’ve yet to sleep, so I went in with the hope of a new experience. I also knew we’d need two hotels.
Because, last year, we spent three nights at the Wilderness Lodge after one night at the All Stars. And it wasn’t enough. And Deluxe was nice. Very nice. But we can’t afford five Deluxe nights, so we need two hotels. Right? Right.

In past years, I’ve waited for the Annual Passholder discounted rates to come out, then tried to book a room. I’ve always gotten a discounted room with this approach, but never in the hotel I really wanted. This year, I consulted the DIS faaaaaar in advance. In July, to be specific. (Turns out, this isn’t early at all by DIS standards. How many of you have your 2008 vacations reserved now? I rest my case!) And the DIS told me I should book immediately, or risk missing out on a yet-to-be-stayed-in hotel once again; I could always apply the discount later. So I got down to business and tried to figure out where we’d like to be, starting with our Deluxe choice.

I was all set to book the Contemporary, when I laid eyes on Tikiman’s website devoted to the Polynesian. I fell in love. The Poly represented all a Disney hotel should be: relaxed, themed to the hilt, spacious rooms, room service, friendly staff – I just knew this was the right place for us. When I got home that night, I shared Tikiman’s site with DM, who also fell in love. The Poly was a winner!

The secondary hotel choice was easy. We wanted a moderate. I’d stayed at every moderate but the Alligator Bayou section of Pt. Orleans Riverside. Done deal. I booked two nights at POR and requested the AB section.

Now, all we had to do was wait for those AP rates to come out……………



Which they did.

On the one day I was away from a computer until 10am.

As soon as I saw the news and understood the precarious situation in which I found myself, I got on that phone and dialed like my life was on the line. After five attempts and 45 minutes on hold, I finally got through.

I don’t remember the CM’s name, but I remember he was uber-friendly, so I’ll call him Sammy Happy Pants. SHP thanked me for calling Disney. SHP said he’d be happy to help me book the Poly at an AP rate, which, BTW, would be a HUGE savings over rack rate.

Thank you SHP, you’re the best! I’ve always wanted to stay at the Poly and now you’re offering to let me stay there at a bargain rate? I think I love you Sammy Happy Pants!

Only SHP hadn’t actually gotten to the reservation part of the reservation yet.
And, when he did, he did not have uber-happy news for moi.

There were no more AP rooms available at the Poly in Dec.

SHP took this moment to vocalize his wish that I’d have called two hours earlier, when they had loads of Poly rooms available at AP rates.
Sammy Happy Pants was bringing me down.

But he did offer an alternative. He had lots of rooms at the Boardwalk Inn for $150 per night less than rack rate at the Poly. Any other time, I’d have jumped all over that kind of deal! But the Poly had already won my heart. And how was I going to break the news to DM? Could we possibly finance the Poly without a discount?? I left my reservation stand; I just couldn’t make a decision yet.

Back home that night, I broke the news to DM. She asked how much the un-discounted Poly room was.
When I told her, her head spun around a few times, her eyes bugged out and I was a little worried she might have a heart attack.

DM was no longer in love with the Poly. She was head over heels in love with the BWI.
And, fifteen minutes later, that’s exactly where we had our new reservations.

And that, good reader, is how the careful, less stress method of hotel selection was accomplished, leading to our upcoming 2 night POR/3 night BWI stay with The Mouse!

Up next: does a non-Dining Plan eater stand a chance at the 90 day mark??

 

[PrincessV]

Hi! I just found your pre-trip report and am looking forward to reading more! I can totally relate to 'feeling unworthy' about writing a trip report - I'm going to try and write one for our Halloween trip and one for our Christmas trip. I don't think I'll be as witty as the infamous DIS TR writers, but I'm still going to do it! I don't think you'll have any problem, your other TR is great!

-Michelle

Thanks Michelle! I'm already enjoying your Pre-Trip TR, too

 

[lexmelinda]

Hey, V......Bummer on the Poly but the BWI sounds great! We valet parked there on one trip and walked around the boardwalk. I love the idea of being able to enter the World Showcase any/every night through the International Gateway. I'll be staying at the BWI and/or Poly next trip pending my dad's winning Powerball ticket. I'm just jealous.........

 

[Disneyland_Mama]

Darn girl... I thought you were going to stay at the Poly and I got all excited for you.... darn.... I hate premature excitedness. (???)

BUT, I am excited for you at the BWI!! Super sweet! Leo's gonna just love the pool!

I love how your mom just transfers the love like that!!!

Oooooohh... ahhhhhhhh... your gonna post some awesome holiday photoness, aren't you?

I can't wait.... I can't wait.... I can't wait!!!

 

[Lauralee131]

Geeze, V! I got all excited there for a minute thinking we'd see you at the Poly! Is that what you writers call a cliffhanger?!?!? I'm loving the start you're off to! Can't wait to read more!!